Y.S. 3.13  Etena bhutendriyesu dharma laksana avastha parinamah vyakhyatah

Etena   By this
bhutendriyesu  the elements, body and sense organs
dharma propriety, law, duty, right, virtue, religion
laksana character, mark, sign, quality, description
avastha  condition, state, position
parinamah change, effect,transformation
vyakhyatah  visible, described, unfolded, enumerated

Through these three phases, cultured consciousness is transformed from its potential state (dharma) towards further refinement (laksana) and the zenith of refinement (avastha).  In this way, the transformation of elements, sense and mind takes place.

These three stages can be described using a clay pot as an analogy.  The dust that makes the clay is the potential state, the clay itself is the second stage of further refinement and the pot is the zenith of its refinement.  Everything has these same properties.  Can we learn to see these properties and know that everything is in one of these states and in the process of transitioning into the next state, as this process is cyclical.  

Y.S. 3.14  Santa udita avyapadesya dharma anupati dharmi

Santa  Appeased, allayed clamed, quietened, pacified
udita  rise, ascended, manifested
avyapadesya   not defined, latent, lying in potential form
dharma  propriety, usage, law, duty, religion, virtue
anupati  closely followed, common to
dharmi  virtuous, just, religious, characterized

The substrata is that which continues to exist and maintain its characteristic quality in all states whether manifest, latent or subdued.

Using the refinement of our yoga practice, we can train ourselves to perceive this.

Y.S. 3.15  Krama anyatvam parinama anyatve hetuh

Krama  Going, proceeding, advancing, regular course, method, order of sequence, succession
anyatvam  different, distinct
parinama   change, transformation, effect
anyatve  different, distinct, variant
hetuh  cause, reason

Successive sequential changes cause the distinctive changes in the consciousness.

Y.S. 3.16  Parinama matraya samyamat atita anagatajnanam

Parinama change, transformation, effect
traya  threefold
samyamat  integration, control
atita  past
anagata  future
jnanam  knowledge

By mastery of the three transformation of nature (dharma), quality (laksana) and condition (avastha), through samyama on the nirodha, samadhi and ekagrata states of consciousness, the yogi acquires knowledge of the past and future.

Know one thing and you can know everything.

Through the process of yoga and meditation we learn to still the mind and focus on one thing; this is called ekagrata, or one-pointed consciousness.  This is the direct opposite of multi-tasking which we are often engaged in.  Multi-tasking is not very productive and can often lead to mistakes or lapses of attention on one thing as attention is diverted to something else.  Yoga asks us to focus, laser-like on what we are doing.  The idea being that we can know everything by learning all we can about one thing.

It is similar to the analogy of digging one 100 foot deep hole rather than 100 one foot deep holes.  Sure, in the beginning you might want to look around for a bit to see which area you want to focus on but once you do, then dive in completely.  The analogy often given in the Yoga Sutras is that of being a potter and making clay pots.  If you put in the requisite 10,000 hours for mastery of your material, then you know the properties of the clay inside and out.  You are able to recognize the potential of the material to become a pot and to also recognize that eventually the pot will one day return to the dust from which the clay was made. This skill involves knowing the properties of the material and the effects of time and place on it.

The importance of these sutras can be demonstrated by the practice of asana, pranayama and meditation.  If we imagine the scattered dust cells of the body and scattered thoughts of the mind and we charge them so that they cohere like a lump of clay, we can feel their inner unity and transform body, breath and consciousness into the shapes of the various asanas as a potter turns a lump of clay into a pot.

In asana, if the energy of the body is harmonized into a single point while in a state of tension, we reach precision.  This single pointed attention indicates the point of balance and harmony at which we can unlock and liberate the knotty confusion of matter and emotion.  It also conveys the importance of finding the exact center of the meeting points of vertical extension and horizontal expansion in body, breath and consciousness.    This is yoga in action.